AUSTIN — Acting on an issue that is stirring controversy in the Legislature, Gov. Rick Perry on Friday made Texas the first state to require girls to get a new vaccine for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

The executive order, which would apply to all girls entering sixth grade next year, prompted surprise and relief from one lawmaker who didn't think her bill requiring the same would have passed. But it so angered many social conservatives who have consistently backed Perry that they suggested money and political ties to the vaccine's manufacturer were behind the decision.

Perry's office insisted that protecting girls ages 11 and 12 against the human papilloma virus was a public health issue, not politics.

"Requiring young girls to get vaccinated before they come into contact with HPV is responsible health and fiscal policy that has the potential to significantly reduce cases of cervical cancer and mitigate future medical costs," Perry said in a press release.

Big push by Merck

Mike Toomey, former chief of staff to Perry, is a lobbyist for Merck. The pharmaceutical company has donated $6,000 to Perry since 2005 and $38,000 to legislative leaders and lawmakers. Merck spokesman Ray Kerins downplayed the company's role in Perry's order, saying "we're working in all 50 states to achieve the widest vaccination possible."

At least 17 other states are debating whether to require the vaccine, including California, New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Michigan's Legislature defeated such a bill in December.

"I'm very proud of the governor for this bold move that sends a signal not only to the people in Texas but nationwide that Texas will opt to protect their daughters from cancer," said Sen. Leticia Van De Putte, D-San Antonio, who has a bill to add the HPV vaccine to the state's required immunizations.

Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, who has filed a similar bill, said her legislation faced an uphill battle in the Texas House because of opposition from the Eagle Forum and other groups.

Parents would be allowed to opt their daughters out for medical, philosophical, religious or moral reasons, as they can do now for other required vaccines.

Paying for the vaccine

The governor also ordered state health officials to make the vaccine immediately available to eligible females through state programs that provide free and reduced-cost vaccines to children from low-income families and for women ages 19 to 21 who qualify for Medicaid. Krista Moody, a spokeswoman for Perry, said it would cost the state $29 million to administer the shots to these girls and women up to age 21.

Critics say the vaccine is expensive — $360 to $600 for the three required doses — and hasn't been on the market long enough. Moody said most private insurers would be expected to cover a vaccine that is required to attend school.

Others are concerned it may even encourage sexual activity.

"These young girls are being given a hope that they will be protected from cervical cancer," said the Eagle Forum's Adams. "What about sexual activity that gives them AIDS?"

Van De Putte said females who abstain from sex until they marry could get HPV from their husbands. "It's not about having sex or not having sex. It prevents cancer," she said.

The vaccine targets the most common sexually transmitted infection in the country and the cause of nearly all cervical cancers. It leads to about 10,000 cases of cancer and 3,700 deaths a year, including nearly 400 in Texas.

A recent study found that 90 percent of cervical cancer cases could be eliminated if boys and girls got the vaccine. If only girls get it, just more than three quarters of cases would be eliminated.

Markman acknowledged that though doctors don't know how long the vaccine will remain effective and if or when booster shots will be needed, those questions will be answered. He noted the women in the original trial are being monitored to determine if the vaccine is still working. But another area doctor, Dr. Martin Myers, said it's "a little premature" to mandate the vaccine.

"This vaccine is an incredibly important milestone and making it compulsory will definitely increase the proportion of girls who are immunized," said Myers, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and executive director of the National Network for Immunization Information. "But there's a difference between HPV and diseases like polio, measles and diptheria, which spread rapidly in classrooms."

Myers also cited concerns that the vaccine could cause women to stop going in for cervical screenings, which are still necessary because the vaccine doesn't cover all HPV strains.

Unlikely supporters of the governor's order included the Conservative Coalition Research Institute, a 10-year-old organization for limited government and traditional values. Executive Director John Colyandro said Perry's order recognizes "the growing, serious problem of sexually transmitted diseases and that it would be irresponsible to not make more available a vaccine to prevent a serious and deadly disease."

One parent's reaction

Houston parent Celia Galvan, who has daughters in the third and sixth grades, said the price tag is too high for many Houston parents. Galvan, who works at the University of Houston, is also skeptical about whether the shot should be mandatory. She said she'll ask her doctor for advice.

A 3-year-old state law broadened parents' ability to refuse vaccinations. In 2005, the state health department mailed about 37,000 affidavits to roughly 11,400 people interested in claiming the "conscientious objection."

A survey conducted in spring 2004 of some Texas districts showed that at least 2,314 schoolchildren were covered by philosophical exemptions.